


Inefficiency permitted

by BeautyButterBae



Category: Kill la Kill
Genre: A tiiiiiny hint of Satsuki/Nonon at the end, Dorks in Love, First Meetings, General nerdiness, Inumuta's abs (yes they deserve a tag of their own), M/M, Pre-Series, Pseudoscientific headcanons for Life Fibers, Somewhat fluffy ending, The world needs more nerdy homos I swear
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-30
Updated: 2014-09-30
Packaged: 2018-02-19 07:38:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 13,887
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2380241
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BeautyButterBae/pseuds/BeautyButterBae
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Inumuta Houka..." Iori repeated slowly, his brows wrinkling as he put all of his efforts into remembering where he first heard of that name. "Aren't you that middle-schooler who managed to bypass the security system, hack into REVOCS and send their stocks into free-fall?"</p><p>"Indeed. That would be me." Inumuta confirmed proudly.</p><p>"Hmm... Impressive."</p><p>(Aka the story of Inumuta's and Iori's first meeting, first project and certain events which led to their first kiss. Fic set a few months before the events of the anime.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Inefficiency permitted

**Author's Note:**

> This fic is basically my vision of how the two biggest nerds of Honnouji Academy met, what their initial interactions looked like and how they came to be the Academy's dorkiest couple. Yeah, pretty much.
> 
> If you want exact time placement, I would say it's right after Inumuta joined the Elite 4 (aka the student council), and was to receive the proper 3-star uniform. And who's responsible for uniforms in Honnouji Academy? Bingo.
> 
> It features a hell lot of my headcanons, for the pairing, but also for the workings of Inumuta's Ultima (or Goku, if you will), Uniform, as well as the science behind Life Fibers themselves. Keep in mind I'm not an expert on neither sewing, IT nor neurobiology, but I (hopefully) made everything make more or less sense.
> 
> Without further ado, let us proceed to the fic itself. Enjoy~

Our story begins in front of the cold surface of the steel entrance to the Sewing Club.

A single knock on the door.

No response.

Another, louder one.

No response.

The tall bluenette pushed the heavy iron handle, only to discover the door was unlocked. It opened with a quiet shriek of the partially rusted hinges, as the young man made his way inside. It may seem like an impolite action, but that was not exactly the case. It was downright rude, but it was a necessary measure. After all, he was ordered to do so.

The rather large interior was dimly lit by a few solitary light-bulbs hanging from the ceiling in a random pattern. In the half-gloom, the bluenette noticed a couple sewing machines set on the tables along the walls, and more than a few racks and shelves full of sewing supplies standing around in seemingly inconvenient places. Moreover, everything looked somewhat rundown. It didn't give off a particularly welcoming feel.

"Excuse me..." the man began, scanning the dark room for any signs of the proximity of another human, but wasn't given the chance to finish, as he heard a shuffle in between one of the shelves, and a sound of a blunt metal tool hitting the ground, followed by an uttered curse. He clearly wasn't alone.

"Do give me a second. I'll be right there." a male voice spoke to the bluenette from a far side of the room "Meanwhile, please care to explain your presence here."

"I am in search of Iori Shirou. I have been told I may find him or one of his assistants here." the young man responded promptly.

"You have been told correctly." the other male spoke, as the sound of objects shifting from shelf to shelf filled the air.

The next moment, there was an audible click of a light switch and the room was slowly soaked in the white light of halogen lamps. As the bluenette's eyes got used to the sudden brightness, he noticed that the room was more organized than it seemed with the previous lighting. Soon, a short, yet slim figure appeared a few meters in front of him. It wore a seemingly oversized lab-coat bearing two black stars on its flaps, along a black turtleneck, and trousers of identical color. Small, oval spectacles sat atop the bridge of their small nose, just above an unordinary translucent mask in a bright shade of orange, which covered the bottom part of their face. Yet the most amazing feature of the unknown persona was undeniably their hair. Golden cascades were sloppily tied in a ponytail, leaving two longer strands by the sides of their face. The figure opened their mouth and was about to speak, before the bluenette cut them off, taking a few steps forward "I see I have been confronted by an assistant of the Sewing Club. It is a true pleasure to meet you, madame."

Saying those words he reached out to the person, gently bringing their small hand to his lips. He was never the type of a romantic flirter, mastered at sweet talk, but upon encountering such an unusually beautiful creature, he couldn't pass up the opportunity to show himself in a better light. And in the case where his charm wouldn't be enough, he could always pass it off as sarcasm. However, he did not anticipate a tiny detail that rendered all of his efforts in vain.

"I am a man, you blind fool!" the blonde beauty exclaimed in slight terror (whilst a heavy blush crept up his pale cheeks), hastily retracting his hand. The bluenette gave him a solid, though somewhat confused, look, whilst adjusting his blue-tinted glasses, which went slightly askew due to the rapid movement of the other.

"Indeed, you are." he scoffed and glanced at the blond a few times in surprise. His next words were slightly distorted and sounded rather insincere, as he could hardly contain his laughter "I am most sorry. Do forgive me for my vision and the misunderstanding resulting from it. I had no intention of insulting your masculinity."

"I suppose it's not that a big of an issue, though I would rather forget it as soon as possible." the blond sighed with a hint of exhaustion. From his reaction, it could be easily deduced that it wasn't the first time he was mistaken for a woman. "If I may ask again, what brings you here?"

"I am searching for Iori Shirou."

"For what purpose?"

"An order from Kiryuuin Satsuki. I'm afraid that's all the information I can disclose. Do you perchance know of his current location?"

"Indeed. He is standing right in front of you. Iori Shirou, president of the Sewing Club. How may I help?" the blond bowed politely "I am terribly sorry, but I didn't quite catch your name. Might I ask of you to reintroduce yourself?"

"Inumuta Houka." the bluenette nodded and responded with a similar bow.

"Inumuta Houka..." Iori repeated slowly, his brows wrinkling as he put all of his efforts into remembering where he first heard of that name. "Aren't you that middle-schooler who managed to bypass the security system, hack into REVOCS and send their stocks into free-fall?"

"Indeed. That would be me." Inumuta confirmed proudly.

"Hmm... Impressive" Iori admitted, sparing the other a good glance. He imagined the hacker to look more like a stereotypical computer-freak, rather than a tall, slim bluenette with a high amount of personal charm.

"Anyway, upon finding the president of the Sewing Club, I may now reveal the reasons for my presence in your work area."

"That will not be necessary." the blond assured "I have been informed of your visit today. You are to receive a three-star Ultima Uniform, is that correct?"

"Yes, it is." Inumuta nodded politely "I have heard many positive opinions about the uniforms of your own manufacture. I am hoping to receive one as soon as possible to check that for myself."

"Of course. Please, follow me." Iori bowed once more and made his way behind one of the tall racks. Behind it was concealed a number pad, into which the blond typed a short code. The next moment, a part of the wall slid to the side, revealing a secret entrance. "Sneaky" Inumuta whispered, following him obediently. As they passed through the gap, the wall quietly closed behind their backs. On the other side was what looked like a proper tailor's workshop. At least partly. The general cold aura of the room gave off the feeling of a doctor's office. Then again, it's rather unlikely to find a sewing machine alongside a few mannequins and many other appliances of the sort in a doctor's office. Along one wall was a line of cupboards, most likely containing sewing equipment. There were even some thick rolls of fabric in one of the corners. And of course, a large wall-sized mirror. The room was well-lit and much more organized than the one they just left. Well... Perhaps except for the large desk near the opposing wall, which seemed to be drowning in papers, among them sketches and scribbled notes. A glassed door on one of the walls led to a decently sized laboratory.

"Welcome to the Head Quarters of the Sewing Club." Iori began, slowly approaching the messy desk "Now that we're here, allow me to introduce you to my method of work. I consider my clients equal to myself, so as soon as I have finished explaining, the formal tone will be dropped for good. As rude as that may be, I can work far more efficiently when I don't have to be particularly selective of my language, and I don't need to bow every two words. I hope these terms are comprehensible?"

"Yes, they are. Is there anything else I should know?"

"For the current moment, there is not. If this is the end of your questions we will proceed to using informal language now."

"I do have one question. May I call you Iori?" the bluenette asked with a tiny smile concealed behind the high collar of his tracksuit jacket. Perhaps it doesn't sound like much, but using someone's name without any sort of a honorific is a rather rare practice in Japan. Especially if it was a newly met person.

"As long as I may call you Inumuta, yes." Iori nodded decidedly.

"It's settled then." Inumuta sighed "I must admit, I like your approach. Unnecessary formalities can be really inconvenient, impractical and inefficient in life."

"I'm glad we have similar views on this topic. Let's proceed." Iori repositioned a few papers on his desk, frantically searching for something. Finally, he managed to pull out a long ribbon of measuring tape and threw it upon his shoulders. "Now, let's get done with this as soon as possible. Come over here and strip to your boxers."

"E-Excuse me?" Inumuta pronounced, confusion clearly reflecting in his eyes, alongside a certain dose of dread.

"How else do you expect me to get your dimensions?" the blond scoffed with a seemingly innocent shrug, idly spinning one end of the tape in circles in the air.

"Ah, of course." the bluenette chuckled at his own foolishness and took a few steps towards the short tailor "I assume this is necessary. Isn't there a more efficient way of doing it, though?"

"As of now, I'm afraid there isn't." Iori confirmed, attempting not to stare as the other began to undress "You don't know too much about the process of making personally tailored clothing, do you?"

"Not particularly. Then again, I don't really need that information." Inumuta shrugged as he layed his shirt and jacket on the chair nearest to him.

"What you should perhaps realize, is that this a rather slow process. It may take a few days for your Uniform to be ready." Iori received a surprised glance from the bluenette "I take a rather traditional approach when it comes to 3-star Uniforms, which may be remarkably inefficient, however it allows me to produce clothing masterpieces. It's a rather rare job, so I suppose I can allow myself for some inefficiency once in a while."

"I see." Inumuta nodded, now clothed in nothing more than a pair of grey underwear. Iori, who stood about 2 meters away from the other, began to scale the hacker's body with his focused gaze. He attempted observing his posture from head to toe, but managed to get only around half-way there. His eyes stopped at the level of the other's abdomen. His abs, to be specific. Despite his computer-oriented lifestyle, he was an owner of a very decent six-pack. How he managed to stay in shape when he spent most of his days sitting was a mystery to the blond.

"Iori...?" Inumuta's voice pulled him out of his own thoughts. Just then did he realize he was shamelessly ogling at the bluenette's abs and quickly averted his eyes. After a second, he gave him another solid glance and a light frown appeared on his face.

"Before I measure you, let me check something..." Iori said, taking a few steps forward. The hacker only nodded in response. The blond approached his back and placed his own palm at the nape of the other's neck. His cold hand caused the bluenette's back to shiver on impulse as Iori gently ran his fingers down Inumuta's spine, feeling along the ridges of the vertebrae concealed under the pale skin.

"Are you enjoying yourself over there, Iori?" the bluenette scoffed sarcastically, although the feeling of the blond's palms on his back was quite a pleasant one, in fact. Not that he'd admit it though.

"I'm not doing this for my own amusement, you know..." Iori pointed out, continuously sliding his hand down his back "Hmm... So my impression was correct."

"About what?" Inumuta questioned, as the small hands of the tailor began getting dangerously low.

"Did you know you have a mild case of idiopathic scoliosis?" the blond asked, taking his hands away.

"Idio-what?" the bluenette questioned in confusion.

Iori released a slightly tired sigh and explained in as simple terms as he could come up with "Your spine is bent in an unnatural pattern, which most likely causes unnecessary pressure on your back. It may be a form of repetitive strain injury. It's not a visible difference to any ordinary human, which is why I needed to get a more 'hands-on' experience. But I'm fairly sure we can fix it using an Ultima Uniform."

"Well, that's always good to know..." Inumuta sighed "Now could you please hasten with your measuring? I'm getting kind of cold over here..."

"Ah, of course." the blond nodded, returning to his previous position of facing the other's front "Perhaps I should apologize beforehand, since this particular part seems to always be quite awkward."

"What do you mean-" the bluenette attempted to ask, but upon seeing Iori kneel in front of him, he understood the meaning of those words, and any further explanation became unnecessary. The next moment, the small tailor pulled the measuring tape through the gap in between his thighs and wrapped it around one of them.

"51.3 centimeters..." he spoke under his breath "You're even thinner than I thought."

Meanwhile, the hacker blushed wildly, putting all of his efforts into not thinking how awkward the situation was. And he was failing miserably.

"Say, Iori, do you often kneel in front of guys and measure their thighs?" he asked somewhat sheepishly.

"More often than I'd ever anticipate." Iori admitted bluntly and whispered another number as he lowered the tape to his knee. With two more swipes down and a few uttered numbers, he was done with the lower part of Inumuta's body.

"You can put your pants on." he stood up, correcting his long lab-coat. There was not a single sign of embarrassment on his face. Then again, he was just making measurements. As Inumuta reclothed his legs, the blond lifted a clipboard from his unorganized desk and noted the dimensions on the attached piece of paper. Next in the spotlight were Inumuta's hips and waist.

Without further ado, Iori shuffled over to the bluenette, who just finished buttoning up his denim pants, and wrapped his measuring tape around his abdomen. The latter twitched slightly, but allowed the blond to perform his job. Despite him being a little close. A little too close. As the short tailor shifted the tape higher, he indulged in gliding his fingers over the other's incredible abs. Unfortunately for him, this did not go unnoticed by the owner of the six-pack.

"You're really enjoying this, aren't you?" the taller of the two smirked.

"Oh, please. I couldn't possibly be that petty. Who exactly do you think I am?" Iori dismissed him with a tired frown and a roll of the eyes. But a tiny blush crept up on his cheeks as he said that. He was found out. But he really wasn't that petty, he was just curious how well-built Inumuta was and it would have been too awkward to ask for permission. Yes, that was it. Just that. Or at least that's how he explained it to himself.

"There must be a better way of doing this..." Inumuta sighed as the blond raised the tape to his chest and read the digits diligently.

"As I've already said, there isn't." Iori responded coldly "If you're so keen on improving the process, I'm sure you could use one of your computer skills to develop some application or something."

"Now, that's an idea." the bluenette grinned, quickly planning everything out in his head "I could probably write a software like that in under an hour."

"I meant that as a joke of sorts, but if you insist." the shorter shrugged lightly.

"Speaking of which, do _you_ have any exceptional skills like that?" the hacker asked, genuinely curious.

"What do you mean?" the blond questioned, moving over to his arm.

"Like, I don't know.. You can knit a sweater in 5 minutes or something."

"My record is actually 4 minutes 36 seconds." Iori corrected with a noticeable dose of pride.

"Cool. Could you knit me one and prove it?" Inumuta asked.

"Sure, I guess. Any particular color you'd like?" the short tailor nodded.

"I meant that as a joke of sorts, but if you insist." The bluenette smirked.

"You could at least come up with your own lines…" Iori scoffed, shaking his head. Though he appreciated the fact he listened so carefully to what he was saying. "But if you really want one, I wouldn't mind knitting for a bit."

"Really?" he looked with disbelief "Well, I'm not really keen on sweaters at the moment, but maybe one day…"

"Alright then..." the blond agreed and made another round to the desk in order to note down his latest measurements "On a different topic, you like tall collars, don't you?"

"I suppose, yeah."

"Then I'll also need the dimensions of your neck. I'd recommend not moving if you don't wish to get strangled." the blond warned and threw the measuring tape over the other's shoulders. Inumuta tensed up, as the fabric of the tape slowly tightened around his neck. There was a reason why this part of his body was always covered. A whole story behind it, actually. A childhood trauma. Back in early grade school, he got into a fight with a reckless kid, who ended up choking him so hard, he lost consciousness for a good few minutes, though he could swear it felt like hours. That event made him realize how weak he really was, and how easy it would be for someone to take his life if they so desired. Tall collars became his barrier, behind which he could take refuge. His only protective layer from the cruel world. But that was grade school. After graduating to middle school, tall collars became nothing more than a part of clothing. A meaningless habit. That was when his sense of security became to come from his knowledge of technology. It became his new stronghold, stronger than ever. And suddenly, he became the one in power.

Even so, having anything tight around his neck brought back bad memories. Iori's measuring tape felt particularly uncomfortable to say the least. Fortunately, the blond made measurements in only a few swift moves, quickly removing the tape.

"Inumuta" he began, scaling the bluenette with a slightly worried glance "Breathe."

The bluenette released a deep breath. Perhaps he tensed up a little too much...

"Anyway," the shorter shook his head "with this, the measurement phase has been completed. You'll probably be happy to hear that we won't have to do this again anytime soon."

"I certainly hope so" the hacker slipped on his t-shirt, followed by a Honnouji Academy tracksuit top, zipping it all the way up to his nose "What'll be the next phase?"

"Design. I am going to sketch the uniform with all the necessary details. All I need now is a surge of inspiration." Iori sighed, stacking some papers on his desk in order to make himself enough space to draw freely. When he was done with that task, he sat at the edge of the wooden surface, hands in his pockets, staring at the bluenette as if he wanted to drill a hole in his body using merely his gaze. His face clearly showed that he was in deep thought. The next moment, he picked up his clipboard and flipped a page over.

"Ah, that's right. I have your physical test results here. Hm.." he lightly pushed up his glasses as he scanned through the paper "According to this you're physique is pretty weak."

"That's because in my profession, physical strength in unnecessary, and, so to say, downright useless." Inumuta shrugged.

"And I completely agree with you." Iori nodded "I suppose your Uniform could enhance your strength, but what else... Something more useful in daily activities... This reminds me, what's your position in the Elite 4?"

"I'm in charge of the Information and Strategy Committee." the bluenette answered with an audible amount of pride.

"I see. Give me an example of what you do." the short tailor ordered. All of these questions felt more than a little random for Inumuta at first, but he figured this was just the way Iori would get his creative gears going. He didn't exactly want to question the methods of the man, widely acclaimed by the Honnouji Academy students as a genius in his own craft.

"Mostly research" he began "You know, Intel stuff. Analyzing information. Collecting data..."

"Collecting data, huh?" the blond glanced up and down his body again "How about- I got it!"

As he exclaimed those words, there was a visible sparkle of excitement and challenge in his eyes. He immediately pulled a chair up to his desk, swiftly seated himself down and began sketching at a remarkably fast pace as if he had to capture the idea on the sheet of paper before it could escape his mind. His movements were perhaps a little too hasty, since the momentum generated when he sat down knocked the rubber band out of his hair. Despite being extremely consumed by his newest design, that small fact didn't go unnoticed by him.

"Inumuta, may I ask a tiny favor of you?" Iori questioned without averting his eyes from the piece of paper or even lifting the pencil.

"Uh, sure, I guess." the bluenette shrugged. It felt rather pointless to just stand around without anything to do, either than watching the other work. Though that wasn't a bad image at all. It was really quite fascinating to see Iori get so engaged into something. He was even smirking lightly, which seemed to be a really rare action for him. It was crystal clear that he genuinely loved his job.

"Could you tie my hair back, please?" he requested, continuously focusing on the paper. Inumuta knitted his eyebrows and was about to speak before the blond cut him off "It's getting into my eyes. In any other situation I would do it myself, but if I stop sketching now, I'll lose the idea. I can't possibly afford that happening. Once you're done with that, you may leave. However, do come back after an hour. We should then be able to perform the first fitting."

"Alright, then." Inumuta sighed and picked up the black rubber band from the floor. For a while he just stared at the luscious hair, not knowing how to approach the ocean of golden waves in front of him. Seeing his hair like this, it was obvious why Iori preferred to have it all neatly tied up. It reached all the way past his shoulder blades and seemed to get easily disheveled on its own. It had some abstract beauty to it, but it was far from practical. Inumuta slowly lifted a part of it with one hand and gently gathered any loose strands with the other. He quickly noticed Iori's hair was even softer than it looked. He thought it was truly... Silky. How fitting that its owner was a tailor. The bluenette chuckled quietly at his own joke and delicately pulled the blond locks through the rubber band.

"Double loop it?" Inumuta asked in order to make sure.

"Actually, triple loop it. I like it tight." Iori corrected.

"Gotcha." the hacker answered, barely stopping himself from making a 'that's what (s)he said' joke. He didn't want to distract the short tailor too much. Instead, he quietly proceeded with the task at hand. As he pulled the half-made pony-tail through the loop of the rubber band, a sweet scent reached his nose. It was an artificial kind of fruity smell and a rather pleasant one at that. Could it be... Iori's shampoo? The bluenette leaned closer to the hair in his grip and took a small whiff. Yes, it was definitely Iori's shampoo. A sweet mix of strawberry and banana. It seemed a little feminine to Inumuta, but it also made perfect sense. He assumed that was the secret to such gorgeous hair, which was capable of deceiving him into believing Iori was in fact a woman. And he found that fact quite amusing.

The bluenette swiftly looped and tightened the rubber band for the last time, placed his hands on Iori's shoulders and, without giving it a second thought, intently pressed his lips on the top of his head in a gentle kiss. It lasted less than a second before Inumuta realized what he actually did and became oddly flustered. Seeing no reaction from the blond, the hacker decided to act like nothing happened.

"See ya!" he called out and quickly left the room to avoid any possible questions. He probably wouldn't have had the answers anyway.

 

 

 

*

10 more minutes passed since Inumuta left and Iori drew the last line on his sketch. He gave the papers in front of him a solid glance. He was satisfied with what he managed to come up with. In the end, he produced 4 pages containing detailed drawings as well as long and properly descriptive annotations. He released a tired sigh as he lifted his hand to his head and touched the place where Inumuta layed his lips just a few minutes earlier.

"So that's how you want it to be, hm?" he scoffed, shaking his head "Seriously, what a fool."

But he considered it a cute sort of foolishness. Without pondering the topic any longer, he proceeded to make the necessary preparations for the first fitting.

**

Soon enough, an hour has passed since Inumuta's lips grazed Iori's head and, as promised, the bluenette arrived at the cold steel door of the Sewing Club. He hesitated when his hand reached out to push the handle. The last thing he did before leaving the room behind that door made him quite a bit anxious. He could barely focus on the meeting of the student council which conveniently took place during the time Inumuta was waiting for his first fitting. It wasn't every day he would lay kisses on the heads of people he just met. And men, at that. Then again, Iori's hair was mesmerizing enough for the hacker to forget that the blond was actually a man. Yes, that's precisely the reason why that kiss ever happened. It meant absolutely nothing. Or so he thought. Either way, Inumuta ceased to hesitate anymore and decisively pushed the door open.

Besides, what was done couldn't be undone. The best solution was to shrug it off. Which is exactly what he did.

Soon, Iori heard the wall behind him slide open, causing him to put the piece of white fabric he was holding down on his desk, and face the intruder in surprise. As he predicted, it was Inumuta.

"So you've memorized the code, huh?" he questioned, the surprise fading from his face "As expected of a genius like yourself. You don't disappoint."

"No need to flatter me like that. I'm here for business" the bluenette smirked, sensing the hint of sarcasm in the other's voice "Is everything ready for the first fitting?"

"On my part, yes. How about you? Are you ready to strip again?" he asked coldly, but with just the right amount of irony, along an evil spark in his eye. You could tell he was smiling on the inside.

"Dude, are you serious? Again?" he questioned in despair. Stripping in front of a guy once was survivable, but twice in one day? That was getting dangerous. Even if it's just for tailoring purposes.

"How else do you expect me to fit the uniform on you?" the blond asked ever so innocently, a very slight smirk growing on his lips. Ever since the incident from an hour ago, he found teasing Inumuta quite amusing. He was curious as to how events could develop from there on.

"You sure are taking a perverse amount of pleasure out of this." the bluenette shook his head with a smirk and began unzipping his tracksuit top.

"Well, we all need some sort of entertainment in our lives, don't we?" Iori answered sarcastically and suddenly felt somewhat perplexed, as a light blush appeared on his cheeks. He did enjoy looking at Inumuta's well-toned body. It was undeniably appealing and perhaps even somewhat attractive. But it was certainly a little embarrassing to admit it. Although he didn't do it openly, but staring with anticipation at the other's abdomen gave him away pretty much immediately.

Seeing Iori get so flustered was oddly amusing to Inumuta. It suddenly put him in his more 'playful' mood. He released a low chuckle and began removing his undershirt. With the edge of his eye, he noticed how the blond adjusted his glasses and began to ogle his half-naked body, though it lasted no more than a few seconds.

"Now, don't get too excited, Inumuta. You can keep your shirt on, this time." the short tailor forced himself to look away and picked up a somewhat disheveled piece of white fabric from his desk "But if you insist on taking that off... Put this on."

Iori casually tossed him the piece of cloth, which soon turned out to be a t-shirt.

"What's this? Some special, limited edition, elite series shirt threaded with 30% life fibers?" Inumuta asked curiously, spreading the garment in his hands.

"Nope. It's a 100% white cotton t-shirt. I make normal clothes too, you know?" the blond scoffed, shaking his head.

"Let it be..." the hacker sighed with a shrug. He seemed to be rather disappointed. But he slipped on the shirt nonetheless.

"Should I remove my pants too?"

"Go ahead. We can start the fitting there." the shorter nodded walking over to a nearby rack and removing a coat hanger with two white items of clothing on them. Trousers and a jacket. As unfinished as they were, they were a pretty impressive craft for less than an hour of work.

"Take this." Iori passed the pants to the bluenette "Just be careful. There's quite a few pins in there."

"Don't worry, I will." the hacker flashed him a small grin. It was kind of cute how he cared for his well-being. Or at least Inumuta saw it like that.

After a minute or so of struggling with getting into the pants, the bluenette finally managed to pull them up to his hips. Of course, on the way he managed to prick himself more than a few times. Apparently, being careful was easier said than done.

"There..." he sighed as he buttoned up the trousers "How is it?"

"Pretty incomplete. Either than that, it looks good on you." Iori admitted, running his gaze over the other's slim legs "How does it feel? Any issues?"

"Well... It's kind of tight in the back." Inumuta said, glancing at his buttocks.

"Is it? Let me check..." the short tailor moved behind the bluenette, pushing up his glasses. And then, he did something Inumuta was completely not prepared for. Iori tugged lightly at the waistband of the pants and slipped a few fingers behind the fabric. Inumuta gasped in shock and froze in place. Iori slid his hand over his lower back horizontally, feeling around the area just below his hips. If it weren't for his boxers, the blond would be very close to groping his ass.

"You're right, it is a little tight." the blond admitted calmly and refastened one of the safety-pins, loosening up the fabric.

"Is this better?" he asked innocently, as if he hasn't just invaded the other's personal space. The hacker suddenly came back to reality from his thoughts and gave Iori a massive glare but followed it with a smirk.

"Ah, I see now," his smirk widened as he spoke "So this is why you enjoy tailoring uniforms the traditional way so much. Or is just that my ass is so fetching that you couldn't keep your hands off it?."

"Don't flatter yourself too much. It's just a part of my job." Iori answered coldly "It's truly a pity someone as intelligent as yourself has such primitive thoughts."

And with that one sentence, he managed to successfully shut Inumuta up. Despite being in the losing position, the bluenette's smirk never faded from his lips. That little tailor may have been serious, dignified and rather cold on the outside, but there was clearly a different side to him, that began shining through. Very slightly, but still. And it was cute, in a way.

The next moment, Inumuta opened his mouth as if he wanted to say something, but instead closed it immediately. He had the perfect comeback to the blond's words, but he decided to keep it to himself. For some odd reason, Iori was the only person he didn't feel like making snarky comments at. He actually wanted to be more or less nice to him. 'Nice' meaning not being the sarcastic dick he usually was. An interesting new experience.

Meanwhile, the short tailor was back at scaling the other's body. His gaze was so focused, Inumuta could sense something was off and decided to speak. "Is something wrong?" he asked, slightly confused.

"Not really. I was just wondering... Aren't those trousers a little loose in the legs?" the blond asked, his mind lost in thought.

"Good question." Inumuta nodded and shook his legs in a somewhat awkward manner. He made a few steps around the room and finally responded "Yeah, they are a little loose."

"Alright then, stand still," Iori walked over to the bluenette and suddenly removed the mask from his face "Unless you enjoy the sensation of sharp pins in your flesh.". It was the first time the hacker had gotten the opportunity to see him without it, and he had to admit, when nothing obstructed his face, Iori was admittedly quite handsome. Of course, Inumuta thought so in a completely platonic, non-gay way. It's normal for a man to notice and admit the beauty of another man, right? Right...? Yeah, totally... How dare you question Inumuta's sexuality.

As the hacker silently admired Iori's face, the latter picked up a few pins from a small box laying on his desk and came back to Inumuta. And then, for the second time that day, he kneeled in front of him, in order to adjust his trousers. This time, the bluenette felt much less awkward about it. Then again, he wasn't half naked as before. For a moment he wondered, why the short tailor removed his mask all of a sudden, but when he looked down at him, he received the answer. Iori held his spare pins in his lips. Of course, professional tailors usually use pincushions, but Iori wasn't exactly a professional. Sewing was his passion and his hobby and, assuming that he started as a small kid and was most likely taught by a relative like a grandmother or a close aunt, keeping pins in his mouth must have been one of his old habits. Or at least that's the version Inumuta thought up. A sort of a 'life headcanon' if you will. And he considered that a surprisingly adorable theory. To tell the truth, he still hasn't gotten too much intel on the blond. Then again, he wasn't all that interested until now.

"Iori" the bluenette broke the silence.

"Yes?" the short tailor responded without bothering to lift up his gaze from his current project.

"You know, I've been wondering," he continued "Why aren't you a part of the Elite 4? Either than the fact that it would then be called 'the Elite 5?"

"Why are you asking all of a sudden?"

"I'm curious." Inumuta shrugged "Besides, if my understanding is correct, you're the one who created all the Ultima Uniforms. Without them, Lady Satsuki would be unable to achieve her goal. So I don't think it's an overstatement to say that this school wouldn't be able to exist in its current form without you. And yet, you're nothing more than the president of the Sewing Club, bearing a 2-star uniform, when you clearly deserve more. Sounds like terrible underappreciation to me."

The blond took a moment to look up at his face as he raised his eyebrows slightly "You do have a point." He admitted and came back to his task at hand "And I suppose it's nice to be recognized once in a while. But you've got one thing wrong. I have actually been offered a position in the student council, long before you've arrived here. But I declined it. It's perfectly fine the way it is."

"What a poor fool you are." Inumuta scoffed, and soon after released a short shriek of pain. That was due to Iori, who just pinned the white pants to the hacker's calves, if only for a second or two.

"Stand still, or I might miss." he said coldly. The message he was attempting to convey was clear. Inumuta's comment was highly unappreciated.

"I don't seek power." Iori continued "I have no interest in ruling the world or whatever it is that humans want to rule these days. All I wish to do is succumb to my passion of sewing, and if that may be of use to anyone, then that satifies me perfectly fine. As long as I can do what I love, I need not a high status nor special privileges. That is why I'm here."

Inumuta could not help but grin, listening to the other's explanation. He considered it adorable how the blond had something he was so sincerely devoted to.

"I think it's amazing how much you love your sewing" he voiced his thoughts "But isn't it a natural human instinct to seek power? We desire safety and stability, which is exactly what power grants. Provided we are at the top of the food chain, nothing can knock us out of our dominant positions, and we can live our lives with a sense of security. With safety comes peace of body and mind, which on its own can open the door to happiness and satisfaction with life. Isn't this why power has always been so desired?

"A primitive way of thinking is what it is." Iori summed up bluntly "Power is the exact thing that led many humans in the past to their painful ends. In their case, safety would be in the lack of power, wouldn't you agree? But I must admit that you do have a point. The problem lays within the sole definition of power. Power is not simply contained within high positions in a certain system. A feeling of safety originating from power may come from any skill or ability that raises you above the crowd. As is my case, where my power lies within my sewing, and with just that, I can feel safe."

"I suppose I am no different," the bluenette admitted with a small smirk gracing his lips "I also find my power within my skills. But given the opportunity to reach higher, to obtain more and further strengthen your position, isn't it foolish to decline such an offer?"

"It may seem like that. However, that is exactly the problem. Given a taste of power humans will always greed for more. They lose themselves in their desire of power, which in the end, nearly always proves to be fatal."

"Touché." the hacker suddenly released a light chuckle "You're absolutely right on that one and I don't have any further points to support my argument."

"It was a true pleasure debating with you, Inumuta." Iori admitted in his usual tone, but a small grin appeared on his lips, as if to prove he meant it "It's been forever since I could have such an intelligent conversation with someone."

"Same on my part." the bluenette nodded "And you don't have to worry about me. The biggest reason why I accepted the offer to come and work here was most likely that it was seriously an offer you couldn't refuse. If you wanted to live, that is. But I'm sure I'll be able to enjoy it. Information technology is my passion after all."

"I wasn't worried about you in the slightest bit." the blond denied promptly, as a tiny blush crept up his cheeks "You're too intelligent to lose yourself in a desire for power. Besides, you have something you're passionate about. That kind of people rarely go and blindly cling to power when an opportunity arises. I suppose we're similar in this aspect. Stable and secure with our little kinks."

"I couldn't agree more." Inumuta released another short chuckle. The next moment the short tailor stood up, removing the pins from his lips "Well, I'm done with the corrections. Take a few steps forward and tell me how it feels."

The bluenette did as he was instructed and, after just a few steps, returned to his previous position. "It's perfect, now. You really are quite amazing." he concluded with a grin.

"Well, thank you. Try the jacket on, now." Iori suggested, passing him the garnet. With a few swift moves, the hacker clothed himself in the jacket, leaving the zipper undone for the moment.

"And?" the blond asked.

"Feels like a perfect fit." he decisively pulled the zipper up to his nose "Yeah, it's perfect."

"Then I'm glad. In this case, we are done for today. You may remove the Uniform now."

"Really? That's it?" the hacker expressed with disappointment "What about the Regalia transformation and all the cool stuff I've been told about?"

"I should be able to prepare the prototype for tomorrow. You can come around 10 am. I should be ready by then. Any special requests regarding the Regalia?"

"Hm... I suppose you probably figured it out already, but heavy armor is not really my thing. So... I'd like something that won't restrain my moves. Something comfortable. I'm leaving the details to your own fantasy." Inumuta announced with a smirk and a wink, as he changed back into his own clothes.

"I'll do my best." Iori nodded, receiving the incomplete uniform from the hacker, who was already back in his jacket and jeans. Suddenly, something caught the bluenette's attention. Iori still remained without the mask on his face. And all of a sudden, Inumuta's eyes focused on his lips. He just realized it was the first time, when he got to see them fully exposed. And they looked surprisingly delicate, as for a man's lips. They were also more plump, than the hacker remembered. They looked oddly sweet. And somewhat... Enticing. Almost inviting to take a bite... It would be a waste to ruin such a perfect opportunity.

"I'm counting on you." Inumuta smiled lightly, as he took a step towards the short tailor. The next instant, he leaned in unexpectedly, allowing their lips to meet in a gentle chaste kiss. They lightly grazed each other for a few seconds as the shorter gasped quietly. Then suddenly, like lightning out of a clear sky, the hacker pulled away and quickly left the room, leaving Iori dumbfounded, staring blankly at the air in front of him. Their lips barely brushed against each other, but that was enough to successfully freeze the blond in place. To be fair, he was anticipating such a situation to occur sooner or later, but he was certain it wouldn't be so early. When he finally came to his senses, he called out Inumuta's name and hastily followed him out of the room, but it was in vain. The young man left the club room of the Sewing Club and was already gone in the twisted hallways of the academy.

What was he thinking? Even the 'he' in question couldn't begin to fathom the answer.

**

Tomorrow came sooner than either of them anticipated. It was 10 am and Inumuta was, yet again, standing in front of the steel door of the Sewing Club, anxious. Since when did a simple door make him so uneasy? But of course, it wasn't the door itself that filled him with an unshakable sense of agitation, but rather the person that was concealed behind it. He knew all too well, that pretending that nothing happened would be next to impossible this time. Knowing the tailor, however, he would most likely avoid the topic of what happened the day before. Though there was a rather high possibility of a further cooling in their already cold relations. This was what bothered the hacker the most. In any other situation, he would accept that as an inevitable part of life that he had no influence on. But this wasn't one of those times. Upon returning home the other day, he realized he has actually developed an odd sort of liking for the tailor. And he accepted it without attempting to fight it off. It wasn't too strong of a feeling either, so if the blond possibly returned his affection, great. If he didn't, no big deal. He was perfectly fine with either. As he settled his thoughts, he realized he had nothing to fear anymore, and confidently pressed down on the door handle.

With a few more steps and a simple code typed out on the concealed number pad he was finally able to meet face to face with Iori. Or rather... Face to back, since the blond was sitting behind his desk, and he appeared to be tinkering with something using a small screwdriver.

"What are ya screwing around with?" Inumuta spoke with a light smirk on his lips. The tailor jumped slightly, clearly startled by the other's sudden emergence.

"Yes, good morning to you, too, Inumuta." he greeted him tepidly "It's the last part of your Uniform, I just need to finish with the last screw... There."

He showed the finished product in his hand. It was a small box made out of blue-tinted metal, with a few cables coming out of one side.

"Nice." the bluenette shrugged without much interest "Where's the rest of it?"

"Be patient, it's ready." Iori stood up from his seat, placing the small box on the desk. Oddly enough, he seemed to be acting the way he usually did around Inumuta. Though this time, he seemed to be the one acting like nothing happened. Only when he turned around to approach the rack on which the uniform was hanging, did the hacker notice the dark circles around the other's amber eyes.

"Did you pull an all-nighter just to finish this project on time? Be honest." Inumuta asked bluntly, but there was a hint of concern in his voice.

"Not exactly. But it is true that I didn't get much sleep tonight." he admitted, and, as if on queue, released a wide yawn, which he quickly covered with his hand. The bluenette smirked. Was he the reason, Iori couldn't sleep at night? How adorable.

"I see. Well, in this case, you should be glad that I got you this." the hacker extended his left arm, in which he held a foam cup with a plastic cover. A small cloud of steam could be seen coming off its top. The short tailor looked at him with suspicion.

"Don't worry. It's just coffee. Drink up." he placed the cup in the blond's open hand with a short chuckle.

"Well... Thank you, I suppose." he accepted the drink, but didn't yet dare to bring it to his lips "I hope it's not a latte because I'm-"

"Lactose intolerant, I know." the bluenette cut him off and grinned sincerely "I managed to get some intel on you."

"Ah, so you really are the head of the Information and Strategy Committee after all, huh?" he took a cautious sip of the coffee and a tiny smile graced his lips "I was sure no one knew about that."

"Your files certainly did. Once I got access to them, the rest was easy as pie." the hacker recalled, proudly raising his chin. "Oh," he suddenly remembered "I also have this for you."

He removed a small metal box from his pocket and extended his hand. Upon further investigation, the box looked similar to a graphic calculator, differing mostly in a larger screen. The blond scaled it with his focused gaze and motioned his head to the side in a silent question.

"It's a measuring device." Inumuta was quick to explain "It recognizes the energy fields emitted by the human it is set to focus on and takes all the necessary measurements. A truly hands-off experience."

"You made it?" Iori asked, holding the device in his small hand and observing it in quiet awe, his serious and professional mask vanishing for a moment.

"I did. It's for you. Keep it." the bluenette nodded, as the tailor turned on the device and began tinkering with the menus. "I already inserted my data in there. From now on, if you ever need to measure anyone you don't even have to lay a single finger on them."

"Thank you, this will certainly make my work more efficient." he nodded gratefully, adjusting his glasses with a light push and returning to his usual stern self.

"Either way, let us proceed. Are you ready to test the prototype of your Uniform?" Iori asked politely, but there was a certain dose of excitement in his eyes.

"Ready as ever." Inumuta nodded decisively.

"Go ahead and change then." the blond approached the rack nearest to him and removed two hangers off of it. On them, hanged the clothes Inumuta saw the other day. Except now, they were finished. And the bluenette had to admit, they were gleaming with Iori's sewing talent. They looked like something coming from a famous fashion designer, instead of a barely recognized high school student. And the fact he managed to finish it over-night was equally amazing. Suddenly, the hacker had more respect for him than ever before. But it was respect that the short tailor certainly deserved.

"Woah, it really does look cool." he admitted loudly, adding a short whistle of approval "You did a great job, Iori."

"Thank you, I appreciate your compliment." the blond responded, attempting to act as little flustered as possible. Unfortunately, he wasn't particularly successful, judging by the blush growing on his cheeks. He couldn't deny, Inumuta's words tickled his fancy. It was certainly nice to have your efforts recognized once in a while.

Within the next couple minutes, the bluenette got himself changed into his new outfit. It was certainly much easier a task without all the sharp pins. Meanwhile, Iori took his sweet time watching the other's unclothed body. Despite seeing it on multiple occasions already, he couldn't get enough of the sight. When the hacker zipped the jacket all the way up to his nose, the blond asked "How is it?"

"I don't really know. I don't feel any different from the usual." he shrugged.

"I was meaning to ask whether it's comfortable..." Iori sighed tiredly "I know you don't feel anything yet, because the Fibers aren't yet fully active."

"Why not?" the bluenette asked making a few steps around the room and stretching his arms "And yeah, it's comfortable. In this one case, I have nothing to complain about. I guess that just shows how perfect you are at this. I must admit, I'm quite impressed."

"Yet again, I'm grateful." the short tailor nodded in a seemingly humble way, but there were sparks of pride in his eyes which seemed to be saying 'Do you really think I would get this position and the reputation along with it if I was anything short of perfect?'. Inumuta found it adorable how easily he could read his mood just based on his eyes. "To answer your question, because the true power of your Uniform lays here."

The blond picked up the small metal box he was tinkering with a few minutes earlier and turned it around in his fingers.

"This is what activates the full power of Life Fibers in your Ultima Uniform. It is made of reinforced Life Fibers itself. It's controlled by the electrical impulses in your neurons, due to which has an incredible potential for various uses. It can increase your physical strength, improve any and all motorical functions of your body, enable you to perform thousands of simultaneous calculations per second, increase the storage capacity of your brain and even heighten your observation and cognitive skills. And it can connect your brain to any of your mobile devices with a Bluetooth-like system for convenient data transfer. The problem, however, lays in its placement on your body..."

"And that problem would be?" Inumuta asked curiously, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose with a light smirk. He was particularly fascinated by that bletooth-like feature.

"As I've mentioned already, it is controlled by the electrical impulses in your neurons. You see, to be controlled by these impulses, it must first come in contact with those very neurons. Since it would be impossible to join up with every neuron in your body, the only way for it to function properly, it needs to connect to your spinal cord. And by that, I mean inject a part of itself _into_ your spine. And removing it, is not a possible option as of yet. In other words, you'd be stuck with it for a long time, if not forever. I figured I should at least ask for your permission."

Inumuta swallowed loudly, his smirk gone, while rubbing the back of his neck in a somewhat nervous manner. "So that's what it is..." he laughed anxiously, as if trying to ease his own tension "But I suppose 'no' isn't really an option, is it?"

"You are correct, it isn't." Iori nodded coldly. He was under the orders of Lady Satsuki. This was merely one of his responsibilities. There was no need for him to involve his emotions into this. But if this was the case, why could he hardly calm down? How he wished the answer wasn't what he suspected it was…

"But I suppose it wouldn't be so, if it weren't necessary. And I can understand that. It could certainly make my work more efficient, and in the face of the final inevitable battle, it wouldn't leave me useless either..." the bluenette thought out loud, lightly rubbing his chin, a grin beginning to reappear on his lips as rational thought took place of the initial fear and uncertainty.

"Alright, I quite like this idea... I have just one question. I can consciously decide when I want to use the abilities this device can grant me, right? In other words, it would remain dormant in a time of my choosing?"

"On the most part, yes. Though I cannot guarantee that it won't increase your brain activity, whether you like it or not." the blond responded with a shrug. He was probably just as (if not more) anxious as the bluenette, but he decided to simply shrug it off. He was certain his invention would work flawlessly, as his experiments proved. When his mind couldn't relax for whatever reason, he found relief in logic and calculations. Yes, everything would be perfectly fine. He didn't doubt this even for a second.

"I think I can live with that." Inumuta nodded decidedly "I accept these terms and conditions. You may... Insert that thing into my spine, or whatever it is you want to do with it. As long as it can make me more efficient, I agree to any methods."

"Very well then." Iori took a step closer to him and flashed a light smile "I must admit, I do like your approach to the issue."

"It's the most convenient and logical one." the hacker pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose "Besides, it doesn't seem like I have anything to lose."

"I suppose so. Before we begin, I have but one more thing I need to warn you of. The moment the fibers inject themselves into your spine, will be a shock for your nervous system. I don't know exactly what can happen, but from my knowledge and experience, you will most likely lose any and all control over your body. However, I assume it won't last longer than 30 seconds, since that has proven to be the average time taken by Life Fibers to come into symbiosis with the body."

"Got it." Inumuta nodded hesitantly, trying to digest all the information thrown at him all at once "I'm counting in you to keep me in check, Iori."

"Of course, that is obviously my task. And one more thing." the blond adjusted his glasses "To say that it will hurt about as much as injecting a medical needle would be a severe understatement. A blatant lie, actually. It will most likely be the most intense pain you will ever feel in your life. And I haven't the slightest idea how long it may last. I hope you're ready for that."

"Somehow, that's not reassuring at all..." Inumuta rubbed the back of his neck nervously "But there is no getting around that. Let's do it. The sooner we start, the sooner we finish."

 _You truly impress me, Inumuta Houka._ Is what Iori wanted to say, but instead only sighed with barely audible gratitude. There was certainly room for such admiration. None of the other members of the student council were willing to go as far as he was about to. Somehow though, Iori couldn't bring himself to say it out loud.

"As you wish." a small frown flashed through his face. As bound and determined a person he may have been, he was not a sadist. He did not enjoy hurting people in any way. Unless, of course, they were causing trouble for him or Lady Satsuki. But since this wasn't the case, he was somewhat worried about the wellbeing of the bluenette. A rare feeling for him, but certainly not one he could ignore.

"Lower your collar, please." he asked in his usual, emotionless voice, that slowly became increasingly hard to maintain. When the bluenette complied, he placed the metal-like box on the nape of his neck. "Alright," he began "when I press the button located on this device, it will do exactly what I have said earlier. Are you absolutely sure, you are ready? Any preparations you'd like to make, perhaps?"

The hacker only sighed and rested his hands on the top of the desk beside him. Maybe having something he could grab on to would make the pain less excruciating. Iori stepped closer, unconsciously placing his own palm atop of the desk. "I'm ready. Do it." Inumuta spoke, the stress nearly tangible in his voice.

The tailor didn't need to be asked twice. He whispered the words 'good luck' and pressed the button.

The next instant, the air of the Sewing Club Headquarters was filled with a long, painful scream, followed by loud incomprehensible groaning. With one hand, the bluenette clung on to the desk like his life depended on it, with the other one though... He managed to get a hold of Iori's hand, and held it as dearly as a person in severe pain could. A grip full of trust, a sense of safety and the only source of reassurance the poor hacker was granted. And the tailor didn't oppose it in any way. He wasn't tugging his arm away, or struggling to get released. In fact, he didn't move an inch. He suddenly felt so unbelievably sorry for the man next to him, that he wanted to do anything that could possibly make him suffer less. On impulse, he placed his free hand on the other's upper arm and began stroking it gently, in an attempt to soothe the pain, only if by a little.

Then suddenly, the bluenette let go of the desk and instead shifted his focus to Iori, engulfing him in a tight embrace of despair.

"I-It h-hurts... Iori. It hurts... s-so much..." he groaned in a high pitched voice, that was almost literally threaded with pain.

Dry sobs filled the blond's ears and for a second he could swear he felt Inumuta's pain. The pain of utter helplessness, in the face of something he had no control over. The only thing that hurt more, was that he himself was the one fully responsible for this. Being as self-centered and duteous to his superior as he was, he never fully considered what would happen the second he presses that button. And precisely that made him feel like the biggest idiot on earth. The hacker's closeness, accompanied by his agony-like voice only made him feel more guilty. The only thing he could do now was return the embrace and wait for the Life Fibers to fully connect with the other's body.

But in this scenario, seconds felt like hours. Hours of pain for Inumuta and hours of regret for Iori. Fortunately for both, soon enough the bluenette's screams seemed to have died down and he was slowly loosening his grip around the tailor. But he didn't let go yet. Instead, he seemed to press his mouth closer to the other's ear, as if wanting to say something. But for a while, no words came out. This only made the blond anxious. What if he was wrong? What if he messed everything up? What if he... permanently injured Inumuta...? Before he was sure of how the fibers would come to connect with his body, but what if they didn't act as planned and went completely out of control? But before he had the time to consider all of these questions, the hacker finally made a sound. Or rather a series of sounds. He began... laughing?

It was a low laughter, of the kind that could make blood set in your veins. The hysterical laughter of a person who could no longer see the difference between pleasure and pain.

When the hacker finally let go of him, the blond was frozen in place, without the ability or even the willpower to move. The possibility of such a spectacular failure was unbearable for him. The very same bluenette he thought he knew was standing just a few inches from him, yet he could barely recognize him. His lips were twisted in a sadistic grin, as he grabbed onto the tailor's blond locks and forced him to stare into his ice-blue cold eyes. Ice-blue…? Weren't they green before…? Must have been a side-effect of his failure, Iori thought. The next instant, those terrifying eyes were covered by pale eyelids; what was left of the former hacker pressed his lips onto Iori's, stealing a deep instinct-driven kiss. The blond, still paralyzed by shock, couldn't force himself to make a single move. He was left completely on the mercy of the being in front of him.

"Good boy." the bluenette whispered after pulling away. His petrifying gaze began consuming the blond with desire. Desire... Desire for what?

All of a sudden he tumbled backwards, needing to support himself on the desk in order to keep himself from falling. He began gasping for air, like a fish out of water, struggling to catch a single breath. He took another air-starved wheeze and nearly collapsed on the desk, his shaking hands barely managing to keep the weight of his body up.

"I-Iori..." he panted, as if he had just run a marathon and came in the top ten in the least "What the hell was that?"

Iori made the effort to move, and glanced at the bluenette's eyes. They were the usual gentle shade. A tired warm green. It was Inumuta. The real and only Inumuta.

"Thank God... You're alright." the blond sighed, slowly recovering from the shock. Well, of course, he would be. Wasn't this exactly how he planned it? He was in pain, then lost control, and in the end returned to normal. Such situation only proved go Iori that he was a pathetic scientist, when things got a little out of control and over his head. And of course, everything only got worse when he employed his emotions into it. And so, the exact reason why he never got close and emotionally attached to anyone. Anyone? Well, now the case seemed a little different...

"Shit... I can't see anything." the hacker broke the silence, after finally managing to catch his breath, blindly searching for his glasses, which got knocked off in all of the commotion.

"Oh, here." Iori picked up the cyan-tinted glasses from the surface of the disarrayed desk. When the hacker turned in the direction of the voice, the tailor gently pushed the glasses up his nose. Inumuta blinked a few times and flashed the blond a small smile "Thanks."

Iori grinned as he made eye contact with the eyes he felt he knew so well. The eyes of the person he grew so fond of over two days.

"I'm so glad you're okay..." the blond sighed, relief well-audible in his voice. He has not failed, in fact, this could be considered one of his greatest achievements. But the only thing he thought of at the moment, was that the real Inumuta was back. His Inumuta was back. On spur of the purest joy he gently pulled the hacker closer by his collar and quickly closed the distance between their lips. As intrusive, forced and utterly repulsing their kiss from a few minutes ago was, this one was the absolute opposite. A tender chaste kiss of relief and gratitude. The gentlest, most beautiful type, in fact.

Despite his initial surprise, Inumuta didn't dare to spoil the moment. He had little to no idea what happened earlier, but he knew that whatever it was, that was the reason behind this kiss. And this was but a way to repay whatever awful thing he did when he went berserk. Besides, he probably wanted it about as much as the small tailor did.

However, it lasted no longer than 5 seconds, before the blond pulled away. With an apologetic expression on his face, he looked down on the ground, avoiding Inumuta's gaze.

"I'm sorry. That was inappropriate." the blond spoke quietly "Please forget about what I just did."

The bluenette had to admit, a sulking Iori was a rare sight, but an unusually cute one all the same. He chuckled in response, taking a step towards the small tailor "Relax, Iori. That was perfectly appropriate." He gently lifted up the blond's chin with his middle and index fingers. The next moment, he left a light kiss on his forehead and smiled honestly "You can really be adorable at times, you know."

The tailor's cheeks flushed with a bright red, as he put all of his effort into trying to calm his racing heart. What a useless effort it turned out to be...

"Why would you say something like that...?" Iori asked, embarrassed.

"Yeah, why would I?" Inumuta pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose with a nonchalant smirk "Well, believe it or not, but it would seem that I have fallen for you, Iori."

"And so I thought. You really are a fool..." Iori snickered, shaking his head "But, in this case, I'm an even greater fool. Because... Well, as naïve and immature it may be, I myself have also grown quite attached and fond of you, Inumuta Houka."

"I love you, too, Iori." the bluenette grinned, getting straight to the point of the tailor's response.

"Here you go, blunt as always. Though I guess I can't say I absolutely hate that." the blond admitted with a light smile, slowly shifting his gaze upward until his eyes met Inumuta's. And when they did, no more words were necessary.

Another exchange of tender smiles later, they both leaned in closer to each other and allowed their lips to meet once more. But this kiss was different than the others. They were both fully conscious of what they were doing and they both wanted it more than anything else at the moment. Perhaps it was a sign of gratitude and relief of the mutual recognition of their feelings? Or an act of deep appreciation of each other's presence? Or perhaps, was it simply two lovers losing themselves to the newly lit passion inside their hearts? Or maybe all at once?

Whichever it was, neither of these questions bothered them at that instant. They were in their own little world. Isolated from anything that could brutally pull them out of the lovely moment they seemed to be in. They began slowly, their lips gently grazing each other, exchanging innocent kisses. And slowly, but surely, they deepened, becoming increasingly less delicate and organized, and more naturally reckless and wild. Soon enough, they plunged into passion - an utter free-for-all. Lips were being sucked, blond locks disarranged, tongues acting on their own accord. And it was absolute bliss. Inumuta clung onto Iori's hair, paying little attention the strength of his grip, as his tongue dominated the other's mouth. The tailor allowed himself for an occasional moan or two, when the bluenette tugged at his hair, while entwining their tongues. He desired to be even closer than they already were; Iori pulled the hacker close, tightly holding onto his slim, yet well-toned waste, instinctively running his hands down his back. With every kiss, they became less aware of the world around them. The blond's fingers trailed up his partner's spine until they reached his neck and pulled it closer, decreasing the tiny bit of distance left between them. As he felt the vertebrae of the bluenette under his slim fingers, sliding down his neck he could feel the effects of the Life Fibres on his own skin. Inumuta's scoliosis was gone, as if it was never there in the first place. Not that he paid much attention to it at the moment, but the fact certainly didn't go unnoticed to him. He continued fondly stroking up his back until half-consciously discovering an obstacle blocking his path. A small hard object, cool to the touch and somewhat... quadrilateral? His mind cleared in an instant and his eyes shot open as he remembered the original reason of their meeting.

"Wa-Wait, Inumuta! We were supposed to work!" Iori pushed him by his shoulders, successfully breaking apart their swollen wet lips. He came to his mind at possibly the best moment, since the bluenette already began removing his lab coat and stroked the naked skin of his back under his half-lifted black turtleneck.

For a second, Inumuta blinked repeatedly, looking at the tailor in confusion, but then smiled indulgently and delicately kissed the other's forehead "You're right. I apologize, I got a little carried away."

"Don't worry about it. It's partly my fault too." the blond admitted while correcting the long lab coat.

As he looked back up at his partner, he noticed a small detail about his face which bothered him mercilessly. That being, his cyan-tinted lens, which happened to be oddly slanted to the left. Apparently, the other noticed a very similar nuance on Iori.

"Your glasses went askew." they both uttered at the same time and extended their hands to push each other's frames back into their proper position. Two short chuckles followed. If the physical closeness they have just experienced could trigger such amazing, (even) if only temporary, synchronization, what would happen if they got even closer?

With their glasses properly fixed on their noses and some returned smiles, Iori picked up his clipboard along with a pen.

"Don't you think it's weird what love can do to people?" Inumuta suddenly asked, zipping up his new jacket.

"Absolutely. Love is one of the phenomena that has yet to be fully explained by science." Iori nodded, gently scratching his own chin "And I must admit that personally it's a little odd for me to suddenly be so close and comfortable with a person which I met yesterday... Even so, I don't really mind this oddness and I'm somewhat anticipating more. Love really is a mysterious and rather fearsome power."

"Indeed. And latest studies have shown that it only takes 16 seconds for a man to fall in love. Without any particular reason, that's just what it is. Now, if that isn't terrifying, then I don't know what is." Inumuta added with a smirk "Anyway, you said you wanted to work, so how may I make use of myself?"

"Ah, yes. I need your feedback on the uniform and the Life Fibres in your system." the blond clicked his pen and looked at the hacker in anticipation.

"As I've mentioned before, the uniform is of high quality and incredibly fine craftsmanship." he paused and threw in a small wink at Iori "It provides comfort unlike any other piece of clothing. There is literally no possible space for unsatisfaction. There, how's that for your report?" Inumuta asked with a smirk.

"Sounds good. I sure hope that you're being honest, and not saying that just because I made it." Iori gave him a doubtful glance.

"No. Of course not." the bluenette chuckled "By now you should already know that I can be very professional if I so desire. Have some faith in me, okay?"

"Alright, I trust you. Is there anything else you would like to add about the clothes themselves?" the tailor hovered his pen above the piece of paper patiently.

"Not really. Though one thing has been bothering me. Is there something on my back? Because I can clearly feel something there. Or is that just an aftereffect of that... device of yours?" the hacker asked curiously.

At that moment, Iori walked over to his slightly confused partner and spoke "Do you mean these?" he gently lifted a few cyan cables, which extended from Inumuta's neck until his waist, where they disappeared under his belt.

"Yeah, probably." he answered, unable to see the cords himself. "What are they?"

"Cables allowing for data transfer at an incredible speed. They may feel a little uncomfortable or inconvenient, but they are necessary in this system. Without them, your body wouldn't be able to process all the data thrown at it and it would most likely experience an immediate overload. Trust me, you do not want to know what happens next."

"I'll trust you on this one." Inumuta snickered. "Is there any other feedback you need?"

"Yes, on the effect of the device itself." he nodded, the pen already prepared in his hand.

"Oh, it's an amazing feeling!" the bluenette responded with pure excitement in his voice "This feeling of an incredible power flowing through my vains! I feel as if I'm able to do anything... It's really rather breathtaking. But I feel like the fact that you created this overnight is even more awe-inspiring."

He sent Iori an honestly impressed grin through his slightly unzipped collar. The tailor returned it rather shyly, placing his stationary back on his desk. He didn't expect much more objective feedback after what he just heard. Besides, he suddenly lost interest in any productive work, seeing Inumuta's behavior. His words and his smile... Maybe it wasn't much, but, God, was he seducing him. The blond stepped closer to him. This newly found love interest was prone to having bad influence on him and his work. All of this would certainly have an adverse effect on his productivity, but he suddenly ceased to care. In this case, inefficiency was permitted.

The blond walked up to the smiling hacker with a sly grin. The next instant, he grabbed his collar and tugged on it with some force, so that they faced each other. "I swear, the things you do to me..." Iori whispered and confidently, yet gently pressed his lips against Inumuta's. The bluenette gasped lightly, but didn't break the kiss. On the contrary, he reciprocated. Slowly, but surely, they lost themselves in the physicality of the moment, yet again. Though this time, they were even more serious than before. They both mentally decided that they are unable to continue any productive activities until certain 'issues' are dealt with. And so, neither of them needed to worry about any professional matters and they could both give in to the feelings concealed within their hearts. Though it was Iori who began the act, Inumuta was quick to dominate in this impromptu kissing-session. Beginning, with a simple lick of his partner's lips in between their continuous kisses, he was quickly granted access into his mouth, through his ever so slightly parted lips. This way, the hacker gained control over the course of events. And the blond submitted willingly to the entrancing movements of his tongue. They slowly increased the pace as they lost themselves in the pleasure of such closeness.

Soon enough, Iori's lab coat found its way to the floor alongside any and all reason and logical thinking the two previously possessed. Meanwhile, Inumuta's hands lovingly trailed the pale skin of Iori's back underneath his turtleneck. And their 'fun' was only about to begin.

Or rather... It would have had begun if not for a loud voice, brutally pulling them down from their cloud nine.

"Oi! Tailor boy are you in there?!" a, particularly annoying, female voice resounded from the other side of the concealed door. Of course, it would be her... Who else could it be? The number one party pooper. The, so called, 'BFF' of the leader. The sickeningly sweet Lolita with the venom of a cobra - Jakuzure Nonon. The two immediately disjoined their mouths and looked at each other's flushed faces in confusion. Inumuta glared at Iori, his eyes nearly screaming 'tell her something!'.

"Yes, how may I help you?" the blond spoke up hesitantly.

"You're here, good." the voice of the girl resounded "Tailor boy, why don't you take a break from playing around with the Doggy and come visit Satsuki-chan with me, for a moment? Oh, and take the Doggy with you, while you're at it."

The young men looked at each other again and Inumuta summoned enough courage to whisper the words "Are we in trouble?"

"I don't know. But we will certainly be in trouble if we don't go immediately..." Iori whispered back, as he picked up hit lab coat and reclothed himself.

"Tailor boy, I'm waiting!" the high pitched voice reached them again.

"Yes, yes. We're coming." the blond spoke in his usual apathetic way, simultaneously trying to sound respectful and humble. However he didn't quite manage the latter.

As they walked out of the headquarters, the president of the cultural clubs scaled them with a solid glare, scoffed with a rather disgusted look on her face and turned her face to the exit with the sharply spoken words "Follow me."

And thus, they were left with no other choice than to abide by the orders of the pink-haired girl. The two men exchanged another series of confused glances and left the Sewing Clubroom, while purposefully staying a few steps behind Jakuzure.

Perhaps it was due to a sudden feeling of insecurity or just another action dictated by impulse, but all of a sudden Iori grabbed Inumuta's wrist. The latter only smiled and shifted his hand, in order to also get a hold of the blond's small hand. As they walked down the long hallways of Honnouji Academy, their fingers slowly intertwined, allowing the anxiety to leave their bodies almost entirely. They both felt a little awkward, and neither of them fully understood why exactly were they holding hands all of a sudden, but they didn't feel like questioning it either. All they wanted was to relax at least a tiny bit, before the meeting with Lady Satsuki. Usually, they wouldn't have worried at all, but given the circumstances, they had no idea what to expect.

Once they arrived at the door of Lady Satsuki's quarters, their hands separated in an instant and both disappeared in their own respective pockets.

The door was opened soon enough, and the first to walk in was unsurprisingly, Nonon.

"Just as you asked, Satsuki-chan, I brought those two here." she spoke in an oddly cheerful tone.

"Very well, Nonon. You may leave now if you wish." the brunette spoke, with her signature smile slowly forming from her lips.

The pink-haired girl only nodded and disappeared behind the luxurious chair of the leader. Satsuki took a sip of her tea and placed the now empty cup on the matching plate.

"Inumuta Houka. Iori Shirou." she called their names in her ice-cold voice, causing them to immediately freeze in their places "You may be wondering why I summoned both of you here. The answer is simple: I want the two of you to conduct research on the Life Fibers and develop even stronger Ultima Uniforms. From today on, everyday, you will work together. A new shipment of Life Fibers is being delivered to your lab, Iori, as we speak. Along with it, you will be distributed the list of your initial tasks and points of research. Once that is complete, I expect you to continue the work with your own plans, which you will create in due time. Inumuta, you will be responsible for any and all data collection and supervision of the research. Are we clear?"

"Yes, ma'am." they both pronounced at the same time, giving the leader a respectful bow.

"In that case, I expect you to get to work the minute you leave this room. Do not disappoint me." Satsuki pronounced with a stern look on her face "Now, go."

"Yes, ma'am!" they chanted, bowed once more and hurried out of the room.

"Satsuki-chan, why didn't you scold them?" Nonon demanded once the sound of feet scurrying down the hallway became distant "They're totally gay for each other!"

"Indeed. Everything is going perfectly according to the plan." the brunette smirked lightly.

"Yeah, I know they were supposed to get close to each other to allow for a better synchronization and more efficient work, but... Isn't this a little too close?"

"No, this is the perfect type of connection I expected." she insisted.

"Satsuki-chan... I know you're a fujoshi, but isn't this going a little too far?" the pink-haired girl questioned with slight grief in her eyes.

"It may be." Satsuki grinned in an unusually honest (at least for her) way "Are you questioning my methods, Nonon?"

"Of course not..." Nonon uttered the expected answer. She gave the situation another thought. As disgusting as the whole homo issue was, she wouldn't really mind it, as long as she got to see Satsuki smile in a such natural, honest way. Hell, a pair of gays was a small price to pay for such a beautiful sight. Little did she know, that as the despised homo couple would grow closer in the following weeks and months, she would be blessed with this sight on a daily basis. But that's a story for some other time. For now, the love between the two geeks has only begun to sprout. And as all affections, it needs time to grow. Time to work on the research together; To see each other every day. Time to meet each other after school. Time to call each other dorky nicknames. Time for impromptu kissing-sessions. But most importantly, time to fall head over heels for the other. Ah, yes. It would be a beautiful time indeed.

**Author's Note:**

> As simple of a resolution as that may be, I think it works for the purpose of this one-shot. At least I hope it does...
> 
> And ah, yes, I explained their amazing synchronization in the anime (if you ship this, then you must realize how damn synchonized they are) through love and romance and other cheesy things of the sort, but hey, that's pretty reasonable when it comes these two, right? Maybe...?
> 
> Anyway, thank you for reading my dumb, headcanon-drenched fic. If you somehow enjoyed it, I'd really appreciate if you left me a comment. And even if you didn't enjoy it, comments are always very welcome.


End file.
